Triumvirate: Semper Fi
by VanossWriting
Summary: (Three-part prologue) After the destruction of Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe eventually found themselves in the Marine Corps. With Max vowing to never use her powers again, how long can they stay together? (Rated M for strong language and violence.)
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

Hello. Welcome to "Triumvirate," my original story which will follow the events of _Life is Strange_. I've been brainstorming this entire story for at least a year, and if I don't do it now, it'll never get done. I'll be bringing back characters from Life is Strange as well as slipping in original characters that will serve important roles.

 _Summary: after the destruction of Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe escaped to Seattle and temporarily resided with Max's parents. Max wanted to resume her education and hopefully get Chloe back in, but lack of funds prevented this. Chloe suggested they enlist in the military to save up enough money. After much persuading, Max submitted and they both joined the Marine Corps. Both uncertain of their future together, they must be ready for whatever life throws in their way._

 _Setting: California, 2018/2023_

The first official chapter will pick up where the summary left off. I myself am uncertain of how far I'm gonna take this, but I guess that depends on if y'all want me to or not. This is one of my larger stories that's currently swimming around in my mind, and I'm excited to see what you guys think.

So what I wanna do is use original characters, specifically some that y'all made. If you have an idea for an OC, let me know in a review or something. The last time I really got in touch with the community was "Life Until Dawn," which has amassed a generous amount of support despite now being discontinued.

Submit your suggestions! It could be your own OC, a friend, or even yourself! I'll make a list and nonchalantly slip them in the story. You get bonus points for adding background info (age, job, etc.) I'm also open to ways I can improve my writing. I wanna make sure the final chapter is grammatically 10x better than the first one.

As for the quote unquote first chapter, I'll most likely write it before Tuesday, but high school is making me doubt it. I don't wanna set a schedule for new chapters 'cause I'll just procrastinate and then never post it. I won't sink in most of my time but rather view this as a side activity that I'll get to whenever I'm in the mood.

Like I said, I'm excited, and I hope y'all are too! This has been a year in the making.

Have a great day!

\- VW


	2. Semper Fidelis

**Prologue**

 _ **Semper Fidelis**_

 **Camp Pendleton, San Diego, CA**

 **June 18, 2018**

My eyes fixated on my hands, the same used to rewind time. Painful memories flooded my mind. Memories of the storm, Kate, the dark room...

 _"No one would even miss your punk ass! Would they?"_

 _"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"_

 _"I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up! Nobody cares about me. Nobody..."_

 _"Start listening to me, you dumb cunt."_

I was suddenly shaken awake from my daze. I looked at my palms, shaking slightly.

"Hey. You alright?" A voice asked me, and I turned to me left. There was Chloe, with a concerned look and a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I lied as I looked at the other soldiers around the table, my mind slowly returning to the here and now. I'm Corporal Max Caulfield, infantryman of the 1st Marine Division. Staff Sergeant Chloe Price, pilot in the 1st Division, sat left of me, her attention shifted to a story being told by Dutch.

To Chloe's left was Private Michael Kashima. His heavy, brown beard never fooled me into believing he was a tough guy. He's got a heart of gold with the power to put a smile on anyone's face. He actually reminds me of Kate Marsh. It scares me how similar he is to her. Personally, I'm surprised he's single.

Across from me with a boot on the table was Sergeant David van der Klerk, aka 'Dutch'. I hated him on the first day of basic training. Now, he's one of my closest friends. From what he's said, he was one of the popular kids during the latter half of high school and has a girlfriend back in New Jersey. I can't guarantee that the stories he tells are true, but they're sure as hell entertaining.

To his left, Sergeant Dylan Brooks, another pilot and friendship-wise closer to Chloe. If you thought I was Irish, get a load of this guy. The only thing not Irish about him was his accent; otherwise, he's got the full package with freckles, auburn hair, pale skin, and the ability to down a bottle of whiskey with no problem. Seriously, not even Dutch can beat this guy at a drinking game.

Then there was Corporal Don Hernandez. He was the medic in our little clique, vowing to never leave a man behind. In this world, that's a promise hard to keep. When the news was broken to us about the defeat of ISIS in the Middle East, he seemed the most ecstatic. He told me that he joined the Marines to save lives, not to take them. Although, he isn't always hesitant to kill an enemy.

I turned my head to Dutch and began to listen to his story.

"So my buddies figured out this method of telling each other the decks of cards the football guys had. You shoulda seen the center lineman's face when I took that pot."

"Did they ever find out?" Brooks asked.

"No, but I'm gonna invite them all to my funeral and write 'I cheated in that one poker game' on my gravestone." He answered.

"Is this another one of your tall tales, sergeant?" A voice behind him questioned before revealing himself to be First Lieutenant Israel Lucas, the leader of our platoon. Ever since day one, he viewed me differently. He was never afraid to bark orders at me, but he seemed hesitant to raise his voice at me. He's always had my back, and I've had his. I guess I'm like a little sister to him.

"No sir, I uhh..." He stammered, "I was just gonna show Hernandez how we Jersey boys do five finger fillet." He pointed at Hernandez as he pulled out a knife.

"Dude, you're gonna cut your finger off and I'm gonna hav'ta sew it back on." Don protested.

"Alright, you wanna bet on it?" He asked, and I smirked.

"I dunno man, but my money's on Dutch." I said.

"Normally, I wouldn't allow something like this in my platoon. But since we ain't exactly in a warzone, and since Dutch could get hurt," he took a seat between Kashima and Dutch, "I guess I can let this slide." We all laughed and looked at Dutch.

"Alright, Don. What're ya gonna bet?" He asked. The corporal pulled out his wallet and extracted fifty dollars, slamming it on the table.

"If you can do two rounds in under ten seconds without injuring yourself, you get the money. Run outta time, and you don't get shit. Cut yourself, and you pay me a hundred. Think of it as payment for having me stitch you back up." He smiled wryly at him.

"Okay, no problem. Kashima, time me." He pointed at Mike, who proceeded to pull out a phone. Dutch placed his left palm flat on the table, fingers spread apart, with the knife dangling overhead. We all stared intently. Kashima pointed at Dutch.

"Three, two, one... go!" The second his words left his mouth, Dutch started poking the spaces in between his fingers, going back to the boundary of his thumb with each poke. I could barely keep up, and before I knew it, Dutch finished his rounds, dropped the knife onto the table and immediately snatched the money. Half of us cheered, the other half laughed. Lucas had a grin on his face, which was a rare occurrence.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Dutch said as he sat down. Lucas slowly rose from his chair.

"Now, all fun aside, I came here to let you know that we got briefing in half an hour. Do not be late." He folded his arms. We all looked at him like a bunch of kids that didn't know there was homework assigned. "Don't worry. Knowing you all, you're gonna like this one. Especially you." He pat Dutch on the shoulder. We all looked at each other once he left.

"Just another mission. No biggie. Nothing we can't handle." Dutch shrugged.

"Yeah. We've been through hella worse." Dylan said.

"Oh, speaking of worse, this one time..." Dutch began another story. I smiled and leaned back in my seat.

* * *

"So I look at him and I'm like, 'Hang on, you wanna put me und-'"

"Oh shit! We better get moving, meeting's in five!" Hernandez interrupted, cutting off Dutch as he hastily stood up.

"If it's as important as you're making it, Lieutenant would've dragged us there himself." Chloe said.

"Well, apparently, I'm gonna like it, so I'll see you guys in five." Dutch stood and walked away with Hernandez. Chloe and I looked at each other. We both got up simultaneously and gestured for Brooks and Kashima to do the same. We made our way from the barracks towards the headquarters for the 1st Marine Division.

Once we were inside, Chloe spoke.

"Alright. Let's do this."

"Let's not die, okay?"

"You know me, Max," she stepped ahead and turned around, walking backwards, "Death himself seems to have a grudge against me." She winked before turning back around. Brooks jogged up to her, and they started talking. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Kashima.

"Oh, hey Mike." I smiled.

"Hey, I gotta ask you something."

"Shoot."

"You know the Staff Sergeant better than anyone. You got any idea if she's..." he paused, seeming to have trouble putting it to words, "available?" He eventually said. It took me a second before it hit me.

Chloe and I hadn't told anyone about our relationship. At least I know now that it's not too obvious. I stuttered a little before finding my words.

"Not that I know of, but..." I look down the hallway at Chloe, "I doubt there's much competition." I smiled at him, hiding the lies in my voice. His mouth shaped into a smile, seemingly in relief.

"Thanks, I've been needin' to ask you that, just haven't gotten the chance." He rambled.

"Don't sweat it." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Now let's see what Israel's got for us." I walked with him to the briefing room. When we entered, I poke my head out into the hallway, making sure no one else was coming. I closed the door. I saw Lieutenant Lucas, suited in combat gear, standing next to a large table with plans on it. Everyone began to huddle around the table, and I slipped in between Chloe and Dutch.

"Alright! Before I start, I need to make it clear that anything and everything said in this room stays in this room. If it's discovered that you're conversing of this meeting anywhere else," he paused, "I can't guarantee that you'll still be alive in the following twenty-four hours. Their words, not mine." We all looked at each other, concerned.

"And who's 'they'?" Dutch asked.

"The Central Intelligence Agency." He stated, causing my interest to peak. "According to them, they observed a Chinese freighter docked in Los Angeles. The big concern is that it was off limits and surrounded by armed guards. Most likely hired mercenaries. The freighter just left harbor and is now sailing back to China."

"So what the hell they carrying?" Hernandez asked.

"That's what we don't know. Either something was loaded or offloaded. The Agency's got people checking into the possibility something was offloaded and is now being transported through US soil. Our job is to see if they put something on the ship, or if it's still there. Price, you're gonna provide transport to the ship. After this, get your Huey armed and ready ASAP."

"Yes sir."

"Brooks, you're our exfil. Get that Sea Knight ready and in the airspace once Price is at bingo fuel."

"Understood."

"Everyone else, this is the plan. Price is gonna drop off me, Caulfield, and Hernandez off at the bridge. We clear it out and take out any guards in the crew quarters. Once we exit to this open area," he pointed at a red circle with a '2' marked next to it, "Dutch and Kashima will be deployed and we'll all push to this structure. At this point, they'll most likely know we're here. That's why I want your Huey to be armed." He pointed at Chloe, who nodded.

"What exactly are we looking for?" I asked.

"Anything outta the ordinary. That's why I'll be giving..." he sighed, "Dutch... a particle detector to find any signs of radiation." We all turned to Dutch, who grinned widely before chuckling. "The cargo should be in the lower container bay. We find the crate, take whatever is in there, and then haul ass outta there. We all good on the plan?" He asked, to which we all nodded. "Alright. Price, Brooks, get your birds ready. Everyone else, go gear up and rendezvous with Price's heli in an hour. Remember, what's said here stays here. Dismissed."

Chloe and Dylan quickly left to ready their aircraft, while the rest of us walked together to the arsenal. On the way there, Hernandez spoke.

"I got a good feeling about this one."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll go wrong." Dutch replied. "In fact, I'm counting on it. Shit like this always goes bad."

"Things only go wrong in the movies. Hollywood's gonna do anything for a good rating on Rotten Tomatoes." Kashima said, making us laugh. As the arsenal came into view, I realized that Dutch might be right. How can something this important go right?

* * *

 **AN: This is a bit late, but I'm just glad I got it done. I'm not gonna set a schedule for more chapters since it clearly doesn't work. I'll most likely write whenever I feel like it. Now, I'm not a Marine, and I've certainly never actually been to Camp Pendleton, so I apologize if there's some inaccuracies. I don't know the layout of Pendleton. Matter of fact, I didn't actually plan on writing the second segment.**

 **Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed and I hope you'll enjoy what's to come!**

 **\- VW**


	3. Discovering Darkness

**Prologue**

 ** _Discovering Darkness_**

 **Somewhere in the Eastern Pacific**

 **June 19, 2018**

My face was peppered with small droplets of rain. At least I wasn't getting sand thrown in my face or sunburn on the roof of my mouth. I looked across from me at Lucas, staring at the waters below. His face, covered in rain, was only illuminated by the cigarette in his mouth. Next to him was Dutch, gripping his M4 for dear life, with an M1014 shotgun on his back. On my left was Hernandez and Kashima.

"Thirty seconds, going dark." Her voice said from my earpiece.

As the cargo ship came into view, I could barely make out the Chinese characters on the side when the lightning flashed: 白羊座. Hell if I know what that means. A small gust of rain splashed Lucas, nearly extinguishing his cigarette. He and I both gazed upon the deck of the ship, filled with crates from God knows where.

"Fifteen seconds. Radio check. Go to secure channel."

"Copy." Lucas replied, nodding at me as he threw out his cigarette. I put on my ballistic goggles and pulled the charging handle back on my silenced M4. I made sure the safety was off. "Lock and load, Marines."

"Thirty plus one in the chamber." I whispered to myself. I'm not sure why, but it calms my nerves when I know how much ammo I have. Hernandez came forward and dropped on one knee at the edge of the chopper. When the bridge was beneath us, he deployed the rope.

"Green light!" Chloe yelled. I tapped Hernandez on the shoulder, and he proceeded to rappel down the rope. I followed him shortly after, and Lucas came after. When my boots hit the metal surface, I held up my rifle at crew members managing the bridge.

"Weapons free." Lucas ordered once he joined us. I wasted no time on opening fire through the glass, making every shot count. When the last bridge member fell to the ground, I lowered the barrel. _Twenty-five bullets._ "Bridge secure. Dutch, stay in the chopper with Kash until we secure this deck."

"Copy that."

"On me, let's move!" Lucas ordered as he opened the door to the bridge. I looked at the dead men before proceeding down a set of stairs. At the bottom, we came to a hallway. The crew quarters. A drunk Chinese crewman came stumbling out into the hall, holding a bottle of alcohol. He cheered something in Mandarin.

"Cheers, mate." I whispered in a stereotypical Australian accent before putting a few bullets into him. _Twenty-two._ "Hallway clear." Hernandez and I tiptoed into the sleeping quarters- well, it's difficult to tiptoe in combat boots- and found two sleeping crewmen, thankfully unaware of our presence. I clipped the rifle to my belt and pulled out my combat knife. Hernandez did the same.

"Three, two, one... now." He whispered before stabbing the one in the top bunk. I stabbed the one below him in the neck. "Sweet dreams." I'd be lying if I said I didn't squeamish in that moment. I was never good with knives and needles. Sure, I could to an impromptu stitching, but anything beyond that is beyond me.

"Crew quarters clear." I said, following Lucas back outside.

"Forward deck is clear. Go get 'em, boys!" Chloe said as Dutch and Kashima rappelled down and grouped up with us.

"Alright. Metal squad, roll out!" Lucas ordered, pointing down the containers.

"Oorah!" We simultaneously shouted before jogging through the maze of containers. A platform came into view with two figures on patrol on it. I took cover.

"Two tangos on the platform." I whispered over the mic.

"I have a visual. Weapons free." Lucas replied. I shot one of them, and someone shot the other. Probably Dutch. "Let's move." We all kept going until we reached the end of the ship and were met with the structure mentioned at the briefing. I entered an open crate and poked my head out of the other side. Something moved in my peripheral vision, and when I looked up, there were about six crewmen about to open fire.

"We got company!" Kashima yelled shortly before they began to fire on us. I took cover behind the crate's contents.

"Viking One-Three, we've got hostiles on the second floor. We're pinned!" Lucas shouted.

"Copy, light 'em up Hudson!" Chloe replied. Her Huey hovered overhead, and Pvt. Hudson, manning the minigun, opened fire on the crewmen. The storm of bullets swept from left to right, bringing an end to these guys. "Metal Zero-One, we're at bingo fuel and buggin' off. Hammer Two-Two will be on site for evac in ten." She said as she flew away.

"Roger that. Stack up!" Lucas said as we approached a door. Dutch pulled out his M1014.

"I save this baby for close encounters." He said, casually referencing _Alien_. I smiled that I understood the reference.

"Too true." I replied. We all stacked up with Lucas getting ready to open the door.

"Ready... go!" He yelled as he opened the door. We all entered one by one. "Check your corners!" We all aimed our guns up as we walked down the hallway.

"Clear left."

"Clear right."

"Hallway clear, move up." He ordered. We approached a set of stairs. "Stairs clear, on me." He quickly went down the stairs, and we followed. We were in some sort of generator room. I saw something move at the end of the hallway that led to the lower containers.

"I've got movement. Down the hall." I said as I aimed my weapon down the hall, and everyone else cautiously did the same. Multiple crewmen emerged and started spraying at us.

"Smoke 'em!" Lucas barked, causing us to start throwing lead down the hall. Obviously, Dutch and his shotgun weren't much help with this medium-range combat, which isn't really embarrassing compared to these guys' aiming. When the last one fell to the ground dead, we all looked at each other. _Seventeen._

"Damn, their aim reminds me of the first time you touched a gun." Dutch teased at me. I felt my cheeks turning red.

"Keep moving, check your corners." Lucas said, although I felt it was directed towards Dutch. Nevertheless, we all proceeded through the hall until we came to a door. "Hold up." He held his hand up, and we all stacked up behind him. He peeked through the doorway and quickly moved away as bullets riddled the doorway. He nodded to Kashima, who pulled out a stun grenade.

"Flash out." He said as he threw it through the doorway.

"Go, go, go!" Lucas shouted. One by one, we entered, shooting on sight. I went second to last. We all moved forward while checking each corner. "Catwalk is clear, on me." Lucas said once the room was clear. _Twelve_. We all followed Lucas.

"Looks clear."

"No tangos in sight."

"Stay frosty."

"It's too quiet." I said as I aimed up at a catwalk while backing up along a container. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my upper chest. The other hand put the barrel of a gun to my head.

"Drop your weapons! Leave or she dies!" The man shouted at my squad in broken English.

"Woah, woah!" Kashima exclaimed. Dutch pulled out his sidearm, and I winked at him.

"Back!" He yelled, pointing the gun at Dutch and revealing it to be a Mark XIX Desert Eagle. While he was pointing at Dutch, I slammed my elbow into his gut and forcefully released myself. Once I escaped his grasp, Dutch shot him dead within a heartbeat.

It's strange that these crewmen were so well equipped, yet had no clue what they were doing.

"You alright?" Kashima asked me. I casually brushed my shoulder.

"Never better." I replied.

"Squad, stack up." Lucas said, heading to another door, "Dutch, keep an eye on that detector."

"Yessir." He replied. Lucas proceeded to kick open the door.

"Go!" He shouted as we each entered. "Up to the catwalk." He pointed left to a set of stairs leading to a catwalk. Several enemies emerged from hiding once we were all on the catwalk.

"Contact!" Hernandez yelled. We all returned fire. More hostiles came to the catwalk opposite of ours. I focused my aim on them. _Zero_. I instinctively released the magazine and inserted a new one. I pulled the charging handle. _Thirty_. I resumed firing. When I killed the last one, I shifted my aim to the enemies below.

Before we knew it, the room was cleared. Again, we looked at each other in confusion. Amazing how the only one of us who sustained an injury was me, and it was a bruise.

"Man, ISIS had better aim!" Dutch joked.

"Don't question it." I told him, implying that he _may be jinxing something_. I smirked and headed down the stairs to stack up on another door.

"Sir, I'm gettin' a reading. Whatever it is, it's in here." Dutch said, looking at his detector.

"Let's not waste time, then. Get ready!" Lucas pulled out a stun grenade, opened the door just enough, and threw it inside. He opened the door fully with his gun drawn once there was a loud _bang_. We immediately flooded the room, shooting anyone that wasn't one of us. Thankfully, in this situation, those same people were intending on killing us.

I reloaded once my gun clicked. We kept behind cover and held tight angles, letting them come to us. I slowly rose once the room went silent. I cautiously aimed at blind spots, just in case. We all lowered our guard.

"Clear." Lucas said. Dutch looked at his detector, seeming to follow a trail until he reached an unmarked container.

"This gotta be it." He lowered his gadget.

"Private, open it." Lucas pointed at Kashima, who approached the container and opened it.

There was a crate covered by the Chinese flag. Dutch's detector was ticking like crazy. On top of the crate we're a few weapons and what looked like a manifest. Yet, that didn't scare me. What did was another flag hung in the back of the container. A white background, a red star in the corner, a red band on the side, and a bear in the center. Two words were situated below the bear: California Republic.

I hadn't even noticed many words scribbled on the Chinese flag and the walls. All of them were in English. _"The Republic is reborn!" "Viva la Revoluciòn!" "Free at last!"_ I covered my mouth with my hand to mask the sheer shock emitted from my mouth. The rest of us gave some sort of response.

"Holy hell."

"Sir..."

"Quiet. Hammer Two-Two, this is Metal Zero-One. We've found it. We're ready to secure it for transport." Lucas relayed to Brooks.

"Negative, Metal. I'm detecting aircraft in the sector. Grab what you can so we can get the hell outta here."

"Shit. Caulfield, grab that manifest!" He ordered, snapping me out of my trance. I quickly grabbed the manifest, written in Chinese, and stowed it in my vest. "Alright, double time it, Marines! We're going topside!" We started backtracking the way we came. "Hammer, what's going on?"

"Shit! Unidentified aircra-" the transmission was cut off when an explosion erupted in the ship's hull, most likely from the aircraft. Flames bursted into the room, and the impact threw most of us to the ground. I fell on my back hard, banging my head on the floor. The fall- or the explosion- cracked the glass on my goggles. I reached with one hand to inspect the back of my head.

"What the hell just happened?!" Hernandez asked loudly. I looked to my left as the ship began to tilt and water started rising.

"We're sinking! Come on, we gotta move!" Dutch yelled, shaking me to my senses.

"Hammer, are you there?"

"Yes. The jets focused on the ship." Brooks replied, confirming my earlier assumption.

"Get ready, we're moving out!" Lucas shouted. Dutch pulled me up as I removed my goggles, tossing them aside. "To the catwalk!" We all hurried up the stairs and proceeded down the catwalk. Bits of the hull broke, allowing more cold Pacific water to gush inside. Circuits blew above us, shooting sparks in all directions. Then the catwalk began to break away.

"Haul ass!"

"Watch out!"

We entered the hallway, and as we were moving, one of the pipes on the side broke off, swinging out vertically and slamming Kashima in the chest. Dutch ran around the pipe while I slid under it. I quickly grabbed Kashima and pulled him up.

"Come on! We are _leaving_!" I shouted at him before we both resumed our escape.

"Talk to me, Lieutenant! Where the hell are you?!" Brooks relayed to us.

"Hold fast, we're almost there!" Lucas replied. We came to the flight of stairs from before, where water was flooding down each step. The pound of our boots against the current ensured that nothing hip down was dry.

"Which way?"

"Right side!"

Many small boxes and buckets flew out of the door. When my face was again being covered in rain, lightning struck and a lifeboat on the side of the ship detached, hitting the ocean's surface with a _thud_. We rounded a corner, delighted to see our exac. But Brooks began to pull away. Kashima and I ran faster and faster and jumped on just as it was pulling away.

I felt stress leave me, leaving adrenaline to give me a high. Kashima cupped his face and went further into the chopper. I sat down near the edge with Lucas left of me. I began to blank out when the ship exploded. A piece of flaming shrapnel launched itself at our chopper.

"Hang on!" Brooks yelled as he tried to divert the helicopter. The shrapnel ricocheted off the back blades, causing them to stop and forcing the helicopter into a slow, downward spiral. The kinetic force slammed me to the floor. I quickly latched onto a metal bar connecting the seats to the floor. One of us tumbled down and out into the water, screaming in fear.

"Kashima!" I cried out.

"Caulfield!" Lucas shouted above me. He was also holding onto a metal bar. "Grab my hand!" I reached up with my right hand to grab his.

"Hold tight, I'm getting the blades back on!" Brooks shouted from the cockpit. I finally grabbed Lucas's wrist, and he took mine.

"I'm gonna pull you up!" He said rather calmly. I reached with my other hand to get a better grip. The ship kept exploding, though less violently.

"Almost there..."

"Hold on!" This may have been the first time I've seen a specific emotion in Israel's eyes: fear. I felt our grip slipping.

"I got it!" Brooks cheered as he regained control and got the back rotors back up, jolting the chopper up and forcing my worst nightmare upon me. I slipped. His hand involuntarily left mine, putting me at the mercy of the waters below. I reached out to him one last time before I slammed into the ocean. The force hit my back like a freight train, despite falling from a relatively low height.

I came to my senses when I tried to take a breath, only receiving water. I frantically swam to the surface. Drenched, I began coughing in an attempt to purge the water from my lungs. My heart sank as I saw the chopper flying away.

"Max- tay aliv- e'll come bac-" Lucas radioed, his voice garbled due to my earpiece being damaged. I breathed fearfully, frantically looking around.

"Kashima! Kash!" I shouted, hoping for an answer. "Michael!" No reply. Instead, the lifeboat from before slowly approached me with a sole inhabitant: Kashima. I smiled widely and swam towards him. Once I was close, he pulled me into the boat.

"What luck." He said sarcastically. I curled up in a shivering mess.

"Do... do you think... they'll come back?" He sat silent for what seemed like ages.

"Honestly, I don't care who finds us. We'll make our way home." He reassured.

"You sure?" I asked innocently.

"Positive."

* * *

 **I got sick around 400 words in, so I apologize if it's not my best. I'm thinking of switching to present tense once the Prologue is over to emphasize that it's a prologue. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.**


	4. Darkness Rises

_"I reach to the sky and call out your name. Oh please, let me trade. I would." - The Offspring, "Gone Away"_

* * *

 **Prologue**

 ** _Darkness Rises_**

 **Max's POV**

 **[LOCATION REDACTED]**

 **June 22, 2018**

They found us. We didn't fight. We couldn't. They knocked us down, tied us up, and dragged us onto their boat. I don't remember much of the trip there, but I do remember it was in the middle of the forest. It was a redwood forest. Dead middle of nowhere. I was dragged, barely conscious, to a cell with Kashima. They seemed to only feed us when they felt like it. For three days, we spent our time listening to what sounded like other prisoners. Their wretched, pain-filled cries initially brought tears to my eyes. Then I started to get used to it. Although, no one can get used to Michael crying.

"I'm tired... I just wanna end this." He whimpered the second night.

"You don't mean that, Mike..." I tried to reassure him, my voice scratchy from crying. "Just stay with me..."

On the third day, a man surrounded by guards approached our cell. He had a pair of black, square-framed glasses and a combed back undercut. The rest of his face was covered by a bandana. He motioned at the men guarding our cell, and they promptly opened the door and grabbed us. We followed the man with other guards and another prisoner to what looked to be a meeting room. Except there was one table, two chairs opposite of each other, and one-way windows.

My hands were set free and I was shoved into a chair. The guards spread themselves to each corner of the room while the man shoved the prisoner into the seat across from me. He looked American and most likely was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just like us.

"Tell me, are you afraid?" He asked the prisoner.

"I ain't afraid of you." He responded. The man then stood behind him. "Punk ass, communist piece off shi-"

The man grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed his face into the table repeatedly. I opened my mouth to make a noise, but nothing came out. The man then approached a guard and whispered something to him. The guard handed him a tire iron.

"Now, what did you call me?" His voice... there's something off.

"You're gonna die! One day! Death's gonna find you! Like a fucking boomerang!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" He grabbed the back of his neck and got in his face.

"I said... you're a no good, deadbeat, communist piece of shit." The prisoner replied in a low voice. Normally, you'd think this guy just signed his death certificate. I don't think he had a choice. The man let go of him, waited a second, and swung the tire iron into the back of his head. I wanted to do something, but I could only watch in horror.

"Next." He said coldly as he threw the lifeless body onto the floor. A guard grabbed Kashima and forced him into the chair. I looked at him worriedly. "Sad to see that our friend didn't wanna participate. We're gonna play a game." He slowly reached into his coat and pulled out a revolver. It looked to be some old Smith Wesson model.

I couldn't hide the fear from my face as I looked at Kashima. He didn't look at me. He just watched a guard hand the man a single bullet, which he slid into a chamber and proceeded to spin the cylinder. He pulled the hammer back and placed it on the table.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Russian roulette. Let's see," he leaned towards me, "how about ladies go first?" I gulped and slowly reached for the gun. My shaking hand took hold of it, and I found the long barrel pointed up at my right eye. "Go on." One of the guards stood by my left with a gun aimed at me. Well shit.

"Fuck." I whispered. I slammed my eyes shut, as prepared as I'll ever be. I squeezed the trigger. The hammer slammed into the firing pin. All I heard, aside from my own heartbeat, was a click. Nothing.

I instinctively threw the gun back on the table. I tried to focus on slowing my breathing, but it didn't help that Kash picked up the gun. He pulled the hammer back and looked at the gun like he just went to _that_ part of the internet.

"Mike." It was all I could say before he found the courage to shove the barrel against the side of his head.

"FUCK!" He yelled, long and loud, in anger and fear before he pulled the trigger. I hitched my breath when it clicked, but nothing happened. He threw the gun down like I did, and my stomach sank. The man leaned to me again.

 _Who is he? Why do I feel like he knows me? He knows where I live, where I'm from, who I am. Where have I heard that dry, creepy voice before?_

"Your turn." I peered at Michael with a _help me_ face. He responded with an exhausted nod. I grabbed the gun, but it felt heavier. I pulled the hammer and placed the barrel where it was the first time. I looked at Michael, but he only nodded again. I looked into the barrel and saw a bullet at the bottom.

 _Wait, isn't there a guy to my left?_

I grabbed the guard with my left hand and fired point blank into his stomach. In the corner of my eye, Kashima jumped out of his seat. I dropped the revolver and reached for the guard's sidearm. I held the guard close to me and used him as a shield as I turned and shot the guard to my right.

Kashima grabbed his chair and broke it over one of the guard's head, breaking the chair. He used the broken leg to stab the last guard in the stomach. I let go of my guard and noticed the creepy guy left. I heard from outside, "They're inside!"

"You alright?" Mike asked me as he picked up one of the guard's rifles.

"I could be better. How'd you know I had the bullet?" I questioned.

"I didn't." He replied. I shrugged and started scrounging the bodies for a rifle and ammo. I found some ammunition for the revolver. I practically heard Chloe telling me to get the gun. I swapped the pistol for the revolver and loaded six rounds into it. "You're keeping that thing?"

"Chloe would never forgive me if I didn't." I looked over at the dead prisoner and noticed his eyes were still open. I knelt by him and closed his eyes. I stood straight and approached the door with Michael. He pulled out a stun grenade he confiscated from the bodies. I nodded for him to throw it. He cracked the door open just enough and threw it.

 _Pop._

* * *

 **Chloe's POV**

 **Camp Pendleton, San Diego, California**

 **June 22, 2018**

My eyes locked onto the table, filled with the plans for the mission. We must've missed something. There had to be a flaw. It looked so perfect before. _It's all my fault._

 _No it's not._

 _Then it's someone's fault, if it sure as hell ain't mine._

 _You can't blame people for things they can't control._

 _But they can control it! Dylan could've regained control sooner. Israel could've held on longer._

 _This is what Max was talking about, Chloe. You think the world owes you something._

 _It's taken nearly everything I care about from me. The least life could do for me is keep Max safe._

 _That doesn't mean you have to stop. Just go forward. It's what she wants you to do._

 _I can't. Not until she comes back._

"Price!" A voice rang from behind me. I shot my head around to see Dylan. _It's his fault, isn't it?_

"Did you find anything?" I asked with whatever enthusiasm I could find in me. _It's not his fault._ He looked at me with a strained face. I simply turned back around to the table.

"Don't worry. We'll find her."

"Why haven't you?" I whispered, unaware of what I just said.

"It's the ocean, Price. There isn't much I can do in a helicopter. Look, the Coast Guard's already on it. They'll find her." He gently put a hand on my shoulder. "Just... hang in there until then." I turned to him. I knew my eyes were filled with emotions that words could only describe as pain.

"Sure thing." I replied with a fake smile. _Fucking snake._ He turned and left. _Thinking you're right doesn't make you right._ I rubbed my temples and set my elbows on the table. "Please... come home."

* * *

 **Max's POV**

The empty magazine fell to the ground with a thud. I breathed deeply as I inserted another magazine. I pulled the charging handle back.

"Clear." I stated, looking down at the gun in my hands: a Kalashnikov AK-12. I looked around me at the bodies... and at Michael. He looked so out of it. "Hey." I said to him, but it appeared he didn't hear me. I grabbed his shoulder. "Mike!"

"What?" He asked as he quickly turned his head to me.

"You with me?"

"Yeah," he started looking around the room, "I'm just looking for a way out." He said. I looked for any doors and locked them.

"That oughta buy us some time." I muttered, looking at the walls. "Mike, do you see any vents?" I asked, noticing the lack of windows in the large room.

"Right there." He said. I turned to him and looked up to where he was pointing. It wasn't very big at all, which made me worry for Michael. "You can probably fit in there." _Probably?_

"What about you?" I asked him. He looked down and paused.

"I'll think of something." He answered, walking over to the wall. He cupped his hands, motioning to boost me up. "Might wanna ditch the rifle. It'll just clang around in there and you got the revolver if you need it." He advised. I dropped the AK and approached him. I put my foot in his hands and my hands on his shoulders. "One, two, three." He said as he lifted me up, getting me to where I stood on his shoulders.

I took the cover off the vent and slid it inside. I summoned my core strength (which I don't have much of) and hoisted myself into the vent. Once in, I slowly turned myself around so I was looking out of the vent.

"You sure you can't fit?" I asked. He walked over to one of the fallen guards.

"It took you a good sixty seconds to turn around, I doubt I can even get inside it. Don't worry, I'll catch up." He responded as a bang came from the room's front door. I nodded to him and put the vent's cover back in place. I turned myself back around and started crawling.

Two minutes went by agonizingly slow as I kept crawling. I made some turns since I started, and I was already fucking sick of this. I reached another vent cover, allowing me to hear some yelling. Out of curiosity, I peeked through the vent cover, doing my best to stay hidden. There were five guards about to open the door.

"Breach!" One shouted, prompting another to detonate an explosive on the door, blowing it open. _So, they don't have someone with a master key? Interesting._ They all began to enter, one by one.

"Don't shoot! I'm injured!" I heard Michael from inside the room.

"Where did the prisoners go?"

"I don't know, it all happened so fast."

"Alright. You, take him to the infirmary. Everyone else, spread out and search." Their leader ordered. Shortly after, two soldiers emerged. One was carrying the other, who was injured. _Well played, Mike._ I smirked as Mike put the soldier in a headlock and dragged him out of sight.

* * *

 **Chloe's POV**

A single tear crept its way down my cheek. The thought of Max being dead was too much to bear. I did my best to keep myself together, but terrible thoughts penetrated my mind. Voices in my head battled with each other.

 _She's dead._

 _No she isn't._

 _Admit it, you don't really love her._

 _Yes I do!_

 _Maybe so, but she doesn't love you._

 _She doesn't love you._

 _She doesn't love you._

I felt my knees weaken and my heart beat faster. I broke down in tears, unable to bear it anymore. I pressed my forehead against the table and let it all out. Every breath I took went into a sorrowful, pain-filled cry.

"Get out of my head." I whispered as I slammed my fist into the table, ignoring the pain.

* * *

 **Max's POV**

You wanna know how helpful a map would've been? I must've been in the vents for half an hour before I reached a promising vent with voices coming from it. I recognized one as the man from earlier. I peered my eyes through the vent cover.

"Maybe we can face them head on. Perhaps we show them that we aren't cowards that result to nukes. Then, I can find myself on the front lines, fighting with my comrades, rather than hiding in a fallout shelter." A man said in a French accent.

"Pierre, I admire your devotion, but I'm afraid you're too much of a humanitarian." The man replied. I saw Pierre shuffle a little.

"Do you have a better option? You are still an American. These are still your people. You cannot run a socialist state if it's a nuclear wasteland! I implore you to ditch the nuke. When I bring the revolution to France, I'd love it if a nuclear warhead wasn't launched." Pierre said confidently. I noticed a third man by the masked man.

"He has a point, Mark." He said in a German accent, "I think the nuclear bomb should be a last resort." I squinted a little. _So, his name is Mark._ The man named Mark looked at the two.

"Fine. I'll hide the nuke somewhere and throw away the key."

" _Merci._ " Pierre said. "We're running out of time. The revolution will start soon."

"Alright, Pierre, get ready to go back to France next week. Dieter, do the same. I expect much propaganda in the streets of Munich." The German nodded. Mark motioned for them to follow him as they all left the room. Once the door closed, I slowly opened the vent.

I looked inside and saw an empty room of tables, chairs, a vending machine, and a large window that encompassed a whole wall, allowing for observation of the activities below. Quietly, I dropped down. I should've been looking for a way out of that place. Instead, I found myself looking at a laptop that was left open. Next to the laptop was a pile of what looked like travel papers. Intrigued, I began looking at the files on the computer. So much propaganda and information. I even found battle plans. Places that were to be attacked first. Pendleton was on the list. _Fuck._

I opened the email and looked at who was signed in. Dieter Großel, the German guy. I looked at the travel papers and saw that they were also for Großel. I started attaching images to the email, trying to find ones that screamed "communist uprising." I felt my heartbeat in my throat. It's not like an entire fucking town was in my hands. Instead, as far as I'm concerned, everything west of the Mississippi River was in my hands. My fingers began to tremble as I packed more info in this one email.

I entered Chloe's email into the "send to" part, as well as Dutch's and Lucas's since Chloe hardly ever checks her email anymore. _Please, I just need one of you to check your goddamn email._ I hovered the mouse over the "send" button. I froze when I heard a voice.

"Excuse me, soldier, but I forgot something inside." Dieter said to a soldier outside the door.

"Yes, sir. Go right ahead." I impulsively clicked "send" and waited. _Fuck!_ I thought as the email was taking an agonizingly long time to send. I looked around. I didn't have enough time to go back to the vent. I couldn't leave the computer just to have the man delete the email before it sent. The door handle began to turn. I had an idea.

 _Click._ He opened the door as I was walking towards the large window holding the travel papers.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" He asked me. I turned around and looked at him. He had dark brown hair with light blue eyes. He had a light stubble where a beard would've been. He was, in my opinion, mildly attractive. The biggest turn-off was his bandolier, adorned with five M67 frag grenades with the pins connected to each other by one string. The soldier I assume he was speaking to entered as well.

"Oh, I came for your travel papers, _Herr_ Großel. Just making sure they're correct." I replied in my best German accent, which wasn't good. "I apologize, I would've dressed better, but my alarm clock woke me an hour late. I nearly missed my flight." I smiled at him as the soldier stood guard by the door.

"So, _Fräulein_ Specht sent you to ensure my safe departure?" He slowly approached me as I sat down in a chair.

" _Ja_ , just making sure there aren't any mistakes in these papers. We cannot afford mistakes, can we?"

"I guess... I'm still going to Hamburg, right?"

"Yes."

" _Wunderbar_." He said quietly. "Although, I'm rather... perplexed that you aren't speaking _Deutsche_." He propped himself up on the table opposite of me.

"Oh, I'm learning English and I'm practicing having conversations."

"Hmm, I understand. I did the same when I was learning English. You know, I am truly flattered that Sabine would do so much to ensure my safe return to the _Vaterland._ You look a lot like her." He paused as a noise emitted from the computer, signaling an email has been sent. "Yet you also resemble... a girl that Mark talked about. He told me about a young girl he met a long time ago. She destroyed him." He chuckled at this and stood up.

"Destroyed how?" I asked as he took two steps to me.

"She spread a rumor that Mark was responsible for kidnapping and murdering women." _Wait..._

" _Mein Gott_ , that's terrible!"

"But between you and me... it wasn't much of a rumor. In fact, the girl would've been another victim. What was her name?" He asked aloud. I felt more and more sick for every step he took to me. "Oh... that's it. Her name was... Caulfield!" He barked as he grabbed me by my shirt collar and lifted me above the ground. Before I could reach for my gun, he threw me into the table. I shrieked in pain as my back slammed into the table edge.

Everything zoned out with the exception of his voice. I lifted myself just enough off the ground to reach for my gun. I hadn't been holding it for a full second until he stomped on my hand, forcing me to let go. I gritted my teeth as he took the revolver and inspected it.

"I would've thrown you into the window, but that glass is rather strong. Even I would just bounce right off."

"Oh, thank you so much for considering." I said sarcastically. He smirked at me.

"Gullible American. Did you really think you would win? People like you are why the Revolution will succeed." He said coldly as the soldier standing guard took off his face garment. _What are the odds? It's Michael._ He slowly approached Dieter with a knife. Dieter pulled the hammer and aimed at my head. Michael came up behind him and stabbed him in the back. He grunted in pain as he dropped the gun.

"And people like you are why you'll fail." He growled at him. Dieter grabbed the string that held all the grenade pins.

" _Ich sterbe... für mein volk._ " He replied as he pulled the string, releasing all the pins and turning him into a bomb. Michael hesitated before grabbing him and running for the window.

"Michael, no!" I yelled, but he ignored me. Instead, he threw himself and Dieter into the window. The force of the both of them caused the glass to shatter, sending them both down. I felt my throat tighten a bit. I couldn't find my words, or even a sound to make.

Then the grenades went off, a sound that will never leave my memory. I ran to the window and looked down. I wish I didn't. The image, forever burned into my mind, haunts me to this day. I didn't know what emotion to express or what sound to make.

"MICHAEL!" I screamed at the top of my lungs at the lifeless body far below me. The body that has saved my life countless times. The body that confessed his interest in my best friend. The body that, last night, told me that he wanted to end it all. Then something happened to his body. It changed. Instead of a soldier, it was a church girl.

I found myself standing on the edge of the Blackwell dorm, looking down at a lifeless body. Its cold expression shifted from Michael to... something else.

 _"How could you let me die?"_ A voice whispered into my ear. I turned and saw Kate, her eyes red and puffy from crying. _"You could've saved me, Max."_ I felt tears forming in my eyes.

"Kate, I..." I whispered back, stuttering and losing my words.

 _"I don't want to hear it. There's no excuse."_

"I saved you, Kate."

 _"Did you? You left me to die in that fucking hospital when the tornado came. Yet you just couldn't let go of precious Chloe. And why didn't you save him? You just sat there and watched him die."_ Her words went into my ears like nails. A tear finally slipped from my eyes and travelled down my cheek.

"I couldn't save him."

 _"I've heard enough. You even failed to kill Mark! Do you know... what he's done to me?"_ I felt my knees give out under me, letting me fall on my hands and knees.

"I'll kill him. For you." I whispered through the tears.

 _"Don't bother. You didn't before, and you won't the next time."_ She said as she bent down to me. Just then, I heard others come inside the room as my senses slowly returned to me.

"Don't move! Put your hands in the air!" A man yelled at me as Kate began to fade. I rose my hands and shut my eyes. I heard one soldier approach me and grab me. He held my hands behind my back and forced me up, prompting me to open my eyes. I saw Mark. Anger itself couldn't accurately describe the emotions flooding both my mind and my facial expressions. His face was in full view this time.

"I always knew you had a gift. Yet you're more of a liability now. I could just kill you." He said as he got closer. It took every fiber of my being to resist the urge to spit in his face. "But," he gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger, "I have other plans for you. I can't just let your gift go to waste, can I?"

"Fuck you." I muttered as I shook my head out of his grasp. He only smirked in return.

"Don't worry. No more dark room. I will explain everything in due time. For now, have a nice time in your cell." He replied, stepping away from me. I growled as the soldier behind me started forcing me along. "All in due _time_ , Max."

* * *

 **A/N: Long story short, I've been very conflicted with this chapter. There were so many ways I could've had it go, and I originally planned about a few thousand more words, but I've put this off for so long already, so fuck it. I hope you enjoyed. Have a nice day.**

 **\- VW**


	5. The Future

**Hello, this is Ian. No, it's not the end as the chapter title would suggest. I just wanted to let y'all know that instead of one story, I might make this some sort of anthology. I will make a couple more stories that will lead up to the bigger Triumvirate story. Think of it like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where a few individual films lead up to** ** _The Avengers_** **. I'm currently a junior in high school, and soon enough I'll have barely any time to write stories like this. I doubt a career in law enforcement would allow much time to make fanfiction.**

 **Now, about the stories. The lengths will be different. I think I can cram one into a one-shot, and draw another over several chapters. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to put as much into each story as I can. I remember my old stories being so simple, and hardly any detail. Nowadays I'm putting a significant amount of time and effort into each individual chapter. I'll never ascend to rowanred81 level with ~10k words per chapter, but it's still a nice start.**

 **I'll try to write whenever AP US History isn't bogging me down, and I hope y'all stick with me to the end.** ** _Life is Strange 2_** **is giving me new inspiration to go at the whole writing thing again. I'll utilize this inspiration to its utmost potential. I'm looking forward to expanding this little Triumvirate universe with y'all.**

 **\- VW**


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